Stop by Washington Hospital and you get the immediate sense of a busy medical center on the move. The Hospital is expanding and transforming its infrastructure to stay ahead of the curve in providing the most advanced, comprehensive array of services to meet the health care needs of the Tri-City area.

Many changes now taking place on the Hospital's campus are supported by Measure FF, a $190 million bond measure passed by the voters of Washington Township Health Care District in 2004. The plan is to rebuild and upgrade important facilities on the Washington Hospital campus so our community continues to have a top-notch health care system that will carry us well into the 21st century.

Under the guidance of the District's Board of Directors, with additional oversight by a voluntary Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, nearly every building on the campus is being expanded and upgraded to house the Hospital's comprehensive and evolving range of services in safe, comfortable and accessible surroundings. Although Washington Hospital is already a safe structure, these changes will also ensure compliance with all requirements of SB 1953, California's legislation mandating seismic safety for medical centers by 2030.

Right now, five projects are under construction or have been completed in the first phase of the Hospital's 2010 to 2030 Site Master Plan, including a new loading dock and a network of underground utility tunnels. The tunnels will serve as a huge conduit to move electricity, water and steam from Central Plant to wherever they are needed on the campus. Utility connections will be completed over the next year. Other major projects, which are more visible to passers-by, are a state-of-the-art Central Plant and a new and expanded Center for Joint Replacement, both slated to be completed by early 2012

Powering the campus

Washington Hospital's ambitious construction effort began in early 2009, with groundbreaking for the 37,000-square-foot Consolidated Central Plant, which will support round-the-clock availability of electrical power, hot water and steam. The plant will also house a modern, energy- and water-efficient laundry.

The freestanding power plant will have more than enough capacity to support all functions of Washington Hospital's campus of the future. It will also power the existing Hospital and any future building projects that are part of the Master Plan. This ensures the Hospital will continue to be fully operational throughout construction.

Thus far, the facility's underground and above-ground structures have been completed and the boilers, emergency generators and other heavy equipment have been installed. In the next year, laundry equipment will be added, the building will be finished, and the utilities connected. Ready for a disaster

The Central Plant is also vitally important because it will make it possible for Washington Hospital to continue functioning in the event of a power outage or major disaster, such as an earthquake. With the new generators supplying up to three times the amount of emergency power available to the existing facility, the Hospital will be able to continue functioning independently for at least five days.

In fact, the length of time emergency power will be available is only restricted by the amount of fuel in the campus storage tanks. If fuel can be replenished, the Hospital will be able to continue functioning for an unlimited period of time.

Watch Construction Progress Online

Visit us online at www.whhs.com/construction to view construction video updates and watch current time-lapse footage of the construction of the Hospital's new Central Plant and Center for Joint Replacement. To learn more about upcoming construction projects and upgrades at your community hospital, tune into upcoming Washington Township Health Care District board meetings on InHealth, A Washington Hospital Channel, on Comcast Channel 78.